Album Review | Dr. Dre – 2001

This album dropped on November 16th of 1999. Every song is produced by Dr. Dre & Mel-Man except for The Message, which is produced by Lord Finesse. I haven’t listened to this album yet, but I have heard the first three singles. This album wasn’t quite as well received as The Chronic, but that’s honestly not saying much. It’s still widely regarded as a classic and one of the greatest gangsta rap albums of all time. I have a feeling that this album has aged a lot better than The Chronic too. Most of the criticism comes from the misogynistic and violent lyrics. I saw one review where a guy said “For an hour, with time out for some memorable EMINƎM tracks, Dre degrades women every way he can think of…” I don’t see how anyone could call Dr. Dre misogynistic while commending EMINƎM at the same time. RACISM. Just kidding. I just thought it was kinda weird. Maybe the lyrics really are that bad. I doubt it tho. Lemme stop stanning Dr. Dre and see what I actually think of the project.

Track 1: Lolo (Intro) Feat. Xzibit & Tray-Dee

I’m finna be honest. I found out about Xzibit from an episode of The Boondocks called The Real (I wasn’t even in middle school yet). Goddamn that was a good show. Wish they didn’t fuck it up with the shitty 4th season. Anyway, this is just a 40 second intro with Xzibit & Tray-Dee saying “GODDAMN” over and over again. It’s not worth downloading.

Track 2: The Watcher

According to XXL Magazine this song was written by Nas. Interesting. This beat is dope. Dr. Dre did his thing on the first verse. It was cool. Nothing special. EMINƎM & Knock Turn’Al are singin’ the hook. They actually sound pretty goddamn good. I usually hate it when EMINƎM sings, but it’s not that bad here. This beat is dope & Dr. Dre did his thing. Especially on the last verse where he talks about racist ass police. “Cops is anxious to put niggas in handcuffs / They wanna hang us, see us dead, enslave us / Keep us trapped in the same place we’re raised in.” EMINƎM & Knock Turn’Al actually did they thing on the hook too. “Nigga, we started this gangsta shit / And this the motherfucking thanks I get?” I fuck with this. This is dope. 4/5

Track 3: Fuck You Feat. Devin The Dude & Snoop Dogg

This beat is dope af. Okay, I definitely see what they were talkin’ about when they said Dre’s lyrics are misogynistic. I don’t think EMINƎM‘s any better tho. “Before you kiss ’em use Colgate / She swallowed it, yeah the bitch took the whole eight / And ran with it, then let Mel-Man hit it / And Hitman hit it; damn bitches.” That’s pretty bad, but I’ve definitely heard worse. Devin The Dude did his thing on the hook. It’s nothing special. It works tho. According to him, the chick he’s fuckin’ on can make… I feel bad just sayin’ this shit. She can make her pussy smoke a cigarette. Jesus. Snoop’s goin’ in now. He got a virgin drunk and then she sucked his dick. “I fucked her on the floor so I wouldn’t mess up my bed / Then Lil’ half-dead put his dick on her head.” …What the fuck? I guess it’s cool. I really don’t think it’s that great of a song. It’s alright. The lyrics are definitely a bit much. It’s not horrible tho. 3/5

Track 4: Still D.R.E. Feat. Snoop Dogg

Okay, here we go. This beat is fucking incredible. This beat is legendary. It sounds so fuckin’ gangsta. For real this shit is so badass. This is one of the greatest beats I’ve ever heard. I love this beat. Dr. Dre sounds gangsta as hell and I love the way Snoop says “If you ain’t up on thangs” in the middle of the first verse. The hook is dope as hell too. Seriously this hook is catchy as hell and Snoop sounds so fuckin’ smooth on this shit. Dre’s just goin’ in about how he’s still dope af. That’s exactly what this shit is too. The beat is fucking incredible, the hook is fucking great & the verses from Dre are gangsta as fuck. I definitely fuck with this shit right here. This shit is dope af. 5/5

Track 5: Big Egos Feat. Hittman

This beat is dope af. Goddamn. This beat is so fucking great. It’s led by a piano just like the previous track, but that doesn’t make it sound too similar at all. It’s fucking crazy.

I probably would’ve had the Cosby face for the previous track if I hadn’t already heard it before. Dr. Dre sounds gangsta as fuck on this shit too. Oh… Damn… This hook kinda sucks. Who’s singin’ this shit? Is that Hittman? This hook is kinda weak. It’s not so bad that it ruins the song, but it definitely could’ve been better. Hittman’s verse was pretty goddamn dope. I fuck with the beat and both of the verses, but the hook definitely could’ve been better. It’s still dope tho. The outro is smooth as fuck too. I fuck with this. This is dope. 4/5

Track 6: Xxplosive Feat. Hittman, Kurupt, Nate Dogg & Six-Two

This beat is dope af. Hittman spit a few bars on the intro and now Kurupt is going in. “Eat a bowl of these bitch gobble a dick / Hoes forgot to eat a dick can shut the fuck up / Gobble and swallow a nut up.” For some reason it looks worse when you actually read it. It doesn’t sound as fucked up when you hear Kurupt say it. Maybe it’s just me. Goddamn. Kurupt just dissed the fuck outta Drake. “Captain ‘Save-’em-all-day’, well save this dick / Bitch nigga, you more of a bitch than a bitch / You ain’t into hitting pussy or hitting the switch / You into hitting bitches all for the grip / You punk bitch.” Hahaha. I’m just playin’. It definitely applies to Drake tho. Hahaha I’m just playin’. Drake isn’t that bad. I guess… Anyway, Nate Dogg is singin’ about how he never loved any hoes. Six-Two is goin’ in now. “I skeeted in her throat.” I’ve never heard anyone sound so smooth while sayin’ somethin’ so gross. His verse was dope af. Dr. Dre didn’t have a verse, but that’s not a problem. I definitely fuck with this song. The lyrics are pretty fucked up, but the beat is great and I kinda liked the verses even tho they were messed up. I don’t know why. They were just dope. This song is dope af. 5/5

Track 7: What’s The Difference Feat. EMINƎM & Xzibit

This beat is dope af. Damn. Dre is rappin’ about how he regrets beefin’ with Eazy-E and he misses him. I fuck Dr. Dre’s verse. He doesn’t say anything amazing, but he just does what rappers do. It gets the job done. None of his bars are that bad. He just raps and it works. This hook is dope af. It’s apparently performed by some guy named Phish. Xzibit went the fuck in. This EMINƎM verse is where it’s at tho. He’s goin’ the fuck in about what he’s gonna do with the dead body of Kim after he murders her. I love the way Dre & Em was kinda tradin’ bars at the beginning of the last verse too. EMINƎM fuckin’ killed it. Fuck. I really wish he still rapped like this. “That’s for trying to talk like ‘The Chronic’ was lost product / That’s for even thinking of having them thoughts thought up / You better show some respect whenever the Doc’s brought up.” EMINƎM fucking murdered this shit. I swear it’s like every fucking verse he had back then was pure gold. This shit is dope af. I definitely fuck with this shit. 5/5

Track 8: Bar One (Skit) Feat. Traci Nelson, Ms. Roq & Eddie Griffin

Well, that was pointless. Eddie Griffin didn’t even really do shit on here.

Track 9: Light Speed Feat. Hittman

This beat is smooth as fuck. Dre did his thing on the first verse. This hook kinda sucks, but it’s not a big deal. Hittman’s goin’ in now. This is just a gangsta ass song about weed & hoes. The beat’s dope, but the hook definitely coulda been better and the verses are really nothing special. Well, Hittman’s verse was kinda cool. Not that cool tho. It’s alright. 3/5

Track 10: Forgot About Dre Feat. EMINƎM

This is another one of the greatest Hip Hop beats of all time. Even without the vocals the beat by itself sounds like a complete song. Dr. Dre’s goin’ in about people who hate on him and forgot how much he’s done for Hip Hop. This shit is fuckin’ crazy. This is one of the most famous hooks of all time. “Now-a-days everybody wanna talk like they got somethin’ to say, but nothin’ comes out when they move their lips / Just a bunch of gibberish and motherfuckers act like they forgot about Dre.” This hook is fucking great. That hook is gonna be stuck in my head forever. I fuckin’ love that hook. That’s one of the greatest hooks of all time. I fuckin’ love EMINƎM‘s verse too. That’s definitely one of the best verses of all time. Everything about this song is perfect. The beat is fucking crazy, the hook is phenomenal & EMINƎM‘s verse is just incredible. His flow is crazy and he makes himself seem fuckin’ insane. It’s amazing. Even Dre’s verses were great. Everything about this song is perfect. I fucking love this song. This song is dope af. 5/5

Track 11: The Next Episode Feat. Snoop Dogg, Kurupt & Nate Dogg

A lot of the shit I said about the previous song applies to this one as well. This is another one of the greatest beats of all time. Everybody’s heard this beat before. It’s fucking great. All Kurupt does is yell during the intro. I kinda wish he had a verse, but it’s not really a big deal. Snoop Dogg sounds smoother than a motherfucker on this bitch. Not only the way he sings on the hook, but his entire verse is smooth as hell. Dr. Dre did his thing on the last verse and Nate Dogg sings one of the greatest outros of all time. “Hey hey hey hey……… Smoke weed everyday.” Yes. Yes. This song is fucking incredible. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 12: Let’s Get High Feat. Kurupt, Hittman & Ms. Roq

Hahahahahaha. Ah man. I don’t know about this intro. This beat is dope af tho. Hittman’s verse was dope af. I feel like I’m listening to the narration of a really fucked up party. There was a chick ridin’ Hittman’s dick. Dr. Dre took some Ecstasy. “Laid the bitch out, then I put it in her mouth / Pulled out, nutted on a towel and passed out.” Hahahahaha. I don’t know why, but the fact that he passed out makes that so much funnier to me. Kurupt’s verse is great. His flow is dope af. Someone shouted out Scram Jones. That’s cool. I fuck with Scram Jones. Ms. Roq somehow sounds more gangsta than anyone else on this motherfucker. I didn’t like the intro that much, but it doesn’t last long enough for it to really hurt this song. I fuck with this. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 13: Bitch Niggaz Feat. Snoop Dogg, Hittman & Six-Two

This is so fuckin’ smooth. That statement applies to the beat, the intro & the Snoop Dogg verse. His laid back delivery fits perfectly over this mellow beat. I love the way Dr. Dre handed his verse off to Six-Two. Everything about this song is smooth as fuck. They somehow made it seem cool to repeatedly say “bitch nigga.” Hittman killed it too. The record scratches and sample at the end of the song are perfect. This is some of the smoothest shit I’ve ever heard. I definitely fuck with this. This is dope af. 5/5

Goddamn. This fucking beat is incredible. I know I’ve been saying that about pretty much every track on this bitch, but this one is especially dope. I love the vocal effect they put on Hittman’s vocals. His verse was dope af. The hook is dope too. Ms. Roq is goin’ in now. She fuckin’ killed it. The beat sounds kinda like a horror movie theme song. I don’t know why EMINƎM wasn’t on this shit. He would’ve fit perfectly. Hittman & Roq did they thing tho. Dr. Dre didn’t have a verse. This is still dope af tho. I definitely fuck with this. 5/5

Wow MC Ren is on this bitch? Awesome. Fuck. He doesn’t have a verse. He’s just talkin’ about how “L.A. niggas rule the world, nigga.” Well, it was still cool to hear him. This beat is kind of underwhelming compared to the other tracks on here. It’s still dope tho. Time Bomb & King T did they thing on the first two verses. This hook kinda sucks, but it’s not that bad. Hittman’s verse was dope. I personally enjoyed Xzibit’s verse the most. Defari’s verse was cool I guess. I don’t know. I like the beat and it’s cool to hear a bunch of MCs rappin’ like this, but the hook is pretty wack (especially the sung background vocals). Knock Turn’Al & Kokane do the hook. Dr. Dre doesn’t have a verse. It’s not really that bad, but I’ll probably never wanna hear this again. It’s alright. 3/5

Track 18: Pause 4 Porno Feat. Jake Steed

Oh fuck no. Noooo! Not again! NOOOO! Why? Why am I hearing this shit? No. This is fucking horrible. I don’t want to hear the fucking sound of whoever the fuck Jake Steed is busting a nut in some bitch’s eye. Fuck this shit.

Track 19: Housewife Feat. Kurupt & Hittman

This hook from Kurupt is kinda underwhelming. It’s not that bad tho. The beat is underwhelming too. It’s not really bad, but it’s nothing special compared to the other shit. Dr. Dre’s just goin’ in about how he’s fuckin’ some chick that’s married. This isn’t the most interesting song. If it were more appealing sonically then I would probably be able to give it a pass, but it’s just not really anything special to be honest. It’s cool. Hittman’s verse wasn’t bad. This is alright I guess. If you like misogynistic lyrics and underwhelming Dre beats you’ll love this. 3/5

Track 20: Ackrite Feat. Hittman

This beat is dope. This song is definitely just dope. Not dope af. Not wack af. It’s just dope. The beat is dope. The hook is dope. The verses are dope. Dr. Dre doesn’t make an appearance on this thing. It’s just a Hittman song. The way he started off the second verse was pretty awesome. “I’m stimulated / For those who don’t know big words: I’m fuckin’ faded.” I definitely fuck with this. It’s dope. 4/5

Track 21: Bang Bang Feat. Knock Turn’Al & Hittman

Oh God. I’m not feelin’ this hook. Sorry, but I just can’t fuck with that. The female vocals are just horrible and the “BANG” chants are a little corny. FUCK. This beat is dope af tho. Goddamnit. Oh no. This hook is just so bad. Dr. Dre did his thing on the first verse. Knock’s verse was dope af too. No. Why does this horrible hook have to ruin this shit? Fuck. It’s so bad. Hittman did his thing too, but I really can’t get passed this fucking hook. The beat is dope af and all the MCs did they thing, but the hook ruins this shit for me. This is alright. I guess. 3/5

Track 22: The Message Feat. Mary J. Blige & Rell

Huh. This one was written by Royce Da 5’9″. Interesting. Goddamn. This beat is fucking angelic. I fucking love this beat. It’s so fucking smooth. It just sounds pretty. Dr. Dre is rappin’ about his brother who died. This is sad. Royce did a good ass job. Goddamn. I usually don’t like really melodic hooks, but this one is so motherfuckin’ smooth. Especially Rell’s part. “I’m anxious to believe in real G’s don’t cry / If that’s the truth then I’m realizing I ain’t no gangsta / It’s just not me, but you know I’mma always ride wit you / I miss you / Sometimes I wish I just died wit you.” Damn. Dr. Dre actually did his thing. Well, Royce did his thing, but the delivery was good, so Dre did his thing too. I definitely fuck with this. I didn’t even mind the long ass outro with Mary J. Blige & Rell that much. This is dope af. 5/5

Final Thoughts:

Goddamn. The fucking production on this album from beginning to end is fucking monstrous. This shit is gangsta as fuck too. We got some of the dopest EMINƎM & Snoop Dogg verses of all time on this shit. There definitely are some incredibly misogynistic lyrics on this motherfucker, but it’s really only a handful of tracks where it gets… out of… out of hand… Normally I would complain about this motherfucker being too damn long, but it was the first album Dr. Dre had released in almost 8 years, so people were pretty damn thirsty for his music. Not to mention the fact that we wouldn’t get another album from him in over a decade and a half. He really made sure motherfuckers played this shit to it’s fullest. This album contains some of the most important music of all time. This is absolutely a classic. It’s not nearly as dated as the Chronic is, but I still wasn’t really fuckin’ with every song on here. It’s not that big of a deal tho. It definitely sorta goes downhill once you get passed Murder Ink, but the songs after that really weren’t that bad. I just couldn’t really get into them. This album must be heard by any real Hip Hop fan. I definitely fuck with this shit. This album is dope.

Published by OG Nick Marsh

I am not a music expert. My reviews are completely subjective and should not sway anyone’s opinion on any musical project. I don’t grade albums based on how “good” they are objectively. The score they receive depends on how much I enjoy them personally.
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2 comments

The reason Dre called this album”2001″ was due to Suge Knight jacking the original”2000″ title and releasing the compilation”Suge Knight Represents: The Chronic 2000″ (it was supposed to be released as a completely different project called”Inside Out” which there are a few vinyls floating around online, but EXTREMELY expensive) though as soon as Suge heard Dre was set to drop this album he went into full petty mode and dropped that “2000” record.